Atelier fans have it good on Switch. The launch of Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key, the latest game in the sprawling RPG series, is nearly upon us, and looking back over the series entries that have come to Nintendo’s console, there are well over a dozen available to play on Switch.
That’s a bumper set of quality RPG-ing from Gust and Koei Tecmo, and with compilation bundles available for a couple of the sub-series (the Dusk Trilogy and Mysterious Trilogy), it’s likely that any Atelier fan with a passing interest has multiple entries sitting on their Switch. With Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist Of Salburg lined up for a July launch and bringing everything full circle with a remake of the first game in the series, there’s plenty more alchemy in Switch gamers’ futures, too.
But which Atelier games is best? It’s a tough question to answer given all the different flavours, so we asked Nintendo Life readers to weigh in and help us rank every Atelier title on Switch — and the ranking below is the result!
Remember, similar to our other reader-ranked lists, this is a dynamic ordering that can change in real-time depending on each game’s User Rating on the site. Registered Nintendo Life users who haven’t yet rated the Atelier games they’ve played can click on the stars below, rate any them out of 10, and potentially influence the ordering even now.
If you’ve previously rated these games in our database, well, you’re the loveliest of people and we thank you! If not, you can add your score to the game at any time, present or future, and it will still count and potentially influence the order. We say again, the game currently sitting at #1 doesn’t have to remain there — the ranking is entirely up to you lovely people!
Okay, enough waffle. Let’s take a look at the rundown of the Best Atelier Games on Switch, starting at the bottom…
Publisher: Koei Tecmo / Developer: Koei Tecmo
An Atelier spin-off game which launched back in 2019, Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World was released to celebrate the series’ 20th anniversary and features a bunch of characters from past games. It added a hefty dose of town management and life sim to the franchise’s RPG formula while scaling back the combat. As such, it was sure to rub some of the series faithful the wrong way. It isn’t perfect, but it was nice to get a change of pace from the main series, and to onboard potential newcomers with the more sedate town-management angle.
Publisher: Koei Tecmo / Developer: Gust Corporation
Originally released on the PS3 in 2011 (in Japan, elsewhere the following year) with a ‘Plus’ version following on PS Vita in 2013, this third entry in the Arland sub-series revolved around Merurulince Rede Arls — Meruru to her pals — a beansy princess who’s after a life of adventure rather than opening libraries, waving limply at loyal subjects, and having to put up with the questionable behaviour of extended family members.
Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland DX is a solid entry, though its protagonist wasn’t to everyone’s taste, and a weak story leaves it in the mid-to-lower tier of Atelier adventures.
Publisher: KOEI TECMO AMERICA / Developer: KOEI TECMO GAMES
Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland proved to be a great entry in Gust’s long-running series. Much like the many concoctions made by the eponymous Lulua, this was a refined product that reflects several of the best traits of its predecessors. If you can get past the ho-hum storytelling and learn to master the intimidating crafting system, you’ll find that the game has plenty to offer in its surprisingly involved combat system, gorgeous locales, and rewarding gameplay loops.
Publisher: Koei Tecmo / Developer: Koei Tecmo
Atelier Escha and Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky DX gets off to a pretty turgid start with exposition-heavy scenes punctuated with lots of tutorials. However, once it gets its bearings, it’s another satisfying tale with two strong lead characters to choose from, a great cast of supporting characters, and that deep alchemy sat right at the centre of it all, pulling the weaker strands of its gameplay together into a satisfyingly unified whole.
Publisher: Koei Tecmo / Developer: Gust
First released on PS3 in 2012/13, Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk DX is a welcoming start to the Dusk trilogy which hits the ground running whilst dialling back the traditional time limit aspect of the game, gently easing players into its core alchemy as well as firmly establishing the gameplay loops and systems which are carried on throughout the two follow-up games. It’s never really going to satisfy the most ardent RPG fan as its exploration is too contained and controlled, and its combat not ferocious or engaging enough for battle-hardened players.
For everyone else, though, its alchemy is a thing of depth and beauty which creates a satisfying core around the lesser elements. With a strong – if rather small-scale – story backing the whole thing up and time-saving quality-of-life features added to the DX version, Atelier Ayesha is perfect for those looking to dip their tow into the light and breezy, warm-hearted series.
Publisher: KOEI TECMO AMERICA / Developer: Gust
2022’s Atelier Sophie 2 stands as a wonderful achievement; an entry that feels like the perfect fusion of the old and the new. Sophie’s adventure may not have much to offer up in the story department, but it more than makes up for this with its streamlined design, thrilling combat, expansive world, and addictive alchemy system — all stalwart pillars of the series. It’s a winner for both longtime fans and newcomers, and one of the best Atelier releases yet.
Publisher: Koei Tecmo / Developer: Gust Corporation
The first in the Arland lineage, Atelier Rorona: The Alchemists of Arland launched on PS3 in 2009 in Japan, with a ‘Plus’ version arriving four years later on both PS3 and Vita (and on 3DS in 2015, although only in Japan). Kicking off a much-loved branch of the series in style, its successors may have streamlined various elements, but Rorona still delivers the goods when it comes to adorable characters, simple yet engaging combat, the requisite resource gathering and time management, and a narrative to match. Solid stuff.
Publisher: Koei Tecmo / Developer: Koei Tecmo
The final entry in the Dusk trilogy, and arguably the strongest, Atelier Shallie: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea DX adds a nice new camera, spices up the alchemy, strengthens the turn-based combat system, and gives you two heroines to play through as, each with a journey unique enough that it’s more than worth your while playing through the whole thing twice. World exploration is just as tightly controlled as in previous Atelier games and won’t perhaps suit those hoping for a larger sense of adventure or the desire to get completely lost in the wilds of the world but, this is another solid entry that performs excellently on Switch and suits portable play perfectly.
Publisher: Koei Tecmo / Developer: Gust
This 2015 release arrived on Switch in 2021 in DX form. Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book has you finding the mysterious talking book of the title and working to unlock memories within and improve as an alchemist. With excellent art and the new Dollmake feature, which let you customise the book (named Plachta), Sophie gave the Mysterious series a solid start and the DX version added some welcome QoL options — who wants to stroll when you can sprint? Sophie was popular enough as a character to get another game to her name in 2022.
Publisher: Koei Tecmo / Developer: Gust
The first game since the start of the Arland series not to release on PlayStation 3, protagonist Firis learns alchemy from the previous game’s star, Sophie, and follows the titular character’s quest to explore the world beyond the cave she was raised in, and to hopefully pass an exam that will certify her as an alchemist. It’s certainly nothing revolutionary when it comes to story or mechanics (the time limit came back into play here), but the introduction of an open world felt like a breath of fresh air. And once you’d passed Firis’ exam, you were free to explore Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey at your leisure.
Publisher: Koei Tecmo / Developer: Gust
Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout lifted the series to new heights in 2019 with a reinvigorated, newcomer-friendly alchemy system and an excellent combat overhaul. The new graphics engine looks glorious and runs beautifully on Switch, the story is thoughtfully paced and heartfelt, and the traditionally slow early hours do a fantastic job of detailing Ryza’s journey from complete beginner to master alchemist. Gust did a brilliant job of taking this long-running franchise and making it appeal to the mainstream more than ever here, and Ryza quickly became a firm fan favourite.
Publisher: Koei Tecmo / Developer: Gust
Atelier Lydie & Suelle in its non-DX form was a rather standard entry to the Atelier series. Content with relying on a pretty standard setup, the game didn’t innovate or move forwards, although as the third entry in the Mysterious series, fans of the series are able to enjoy seeing the relatively loose plot threads tied to the other entries in a way newcomers might struggle with. The DX version added a Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists tie-in, a fast-forward for battles, and a photo mode — all welcome additions that improve the experience. As Atelier games go, though, this is simply solid, workaday fare.
Publisher: Koei Tecmo / Developer: Gust
Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends and the Secret Fairy took everything good about its predecessor and further refined it, resulting in what we would say is the best entry in the franchise to date. This may still be a relatively small-scale, old-fashioned JRPG experience, but it’s one that’s full of heart, great characters, slick combat, and some excellent ruin-based dungeons. Anyone looking for a relaxed and enchanting JRPG to sink their time into need look no further than this second entry in the Secret trilogy.
Publisher: Koei Tecmo / Developer: Gust Corporation
Debuting on PS3 in 2010 or 2011 depending on your territory, Atelier Totori: The Adventurer of Arland is the second in the Arland quadrilogy (oof, what a word! Our apologies for that one) series. Set five years after the first in the series, it sees titular protagonist Totori learning alchemy from the previous game’s main character, Rorona, and setting out on an adventure (of course) to search for her (Totori’s) mother, who everyone else in her village thinks has passed on. Debate rages over which of the Arland series stands above the rest, but Totori is a great protagonist and this is a strong contender.
And there we have it! We’ll be updating this list with future releases, and it’ll be fascinating to see how they slot into the ranking. Let us know below if this ordering matches your own, and highlight your personal favourites in the series.
